Judge who oversaw Lucas museum case in Chicago dies at 78

CHICAGO (AP) - A judge who presided over a civil case that prompted "Star Wars" creator George Lucas to drop plans for a Chicago museum has died.

A statement from the chief judge for the northern Illinois federal court says Judge John Darrah died Thursday at age 78. It didn't provide details.

Ruben Castillo says the President Bill Clinton appointee showed an "incredible sense of fairness" during 17 years on the Chicago-based bench. His career included stints as a public defender and prosecutor.

Darrah issued rulings last year favoring opponents of a lakefront museum and Lucas abandoned the project. Darrah's other high-profile cases included one involving a priest accused of seeking to recover an imprisoned hit man's hidden Stradivarius violin.

Thursday's statement says the Chicago-born Darrah and his wife, Jeanine, had 10 children.